


When Rescue Missions Go Right

by walk_ng_d_saster



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Enemies to Lovers, First Aid, First Kiss, Fluff and Smut, Humor, I'm Bad At Tagging, Light Angst, M/M, Making Out, Oral Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:00:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26928520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/walk_ng_d_saster/pseuds/walk_ng_d_saster
Summary: Summary: Takes place on Rishi, when Theron was captured. Carande and Vector go on a mission to rescue him, and Carande ends up learning things about Theron that he never expected to learn.[Don't read Chapter 2 if smut bothers you. It's a bonus smut scene.]
Relationships: Male Imperial Agent | Cipher Nine/Theron Shan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

“Are you _sure_ you're up for a rescue mission today, Cipher? You're looking rather pale...”

That was Lana again, but Carande didn't have it in him to grace her with a response or an argument... much less open his eyes to look at her from where he was resting his head against the wall of the hut they currently shared. The previous night had been a rough one interrupted by night terrors for the former Cipher Agent, but he had zero interest in telling the Sith Lord anything she didn't need to know. He didn't want or need her to be scheduling a session with a therapist, a doctor, or a psychiatrist.

He didn't have _time_ for such therapy sessions and appointments... not when Theron Shan had been captured the previous day.

Theron had been caught and hauled off to Revan's base, and hearing that news had caused Carande's old nightmares and memories of traumatic experiences to rear their ugly heads. After the first instance of waking up trembling and covered in a fine layer of sweat, he'd decided to simply stay awake. He'd spent the hours until dawn with an encrypted datapad he'd found among Theron's belongings and sliced his way into, and he'd consumed several cups of Caf brewed black and triple-strength the way he liked it. It had been the work of an hour to decrypt the information their ally had collected, and then the rest of the night had been spent reading and rereading the notes, drawing his own conclusions from what the rogue SIS Agent had written down. Theron's notes were as comprehensive and complete as if he'd written them himself, so reading them had been a rare pleasure for Carande.

The notes were the mark of a skillful and brilliant mind... It was no wonder that Lana wanted to keep Theron in the loop.

That datapad, along with the Caf, had helped Carande to keep himself awake all night, which was probably for the better. Had he tried to sleep again, he had no doubt that the night terrors that had woken him would have made him scream himself awake if they woke him a second time. Waking with a gasp and trembling for a few minutes as he regained awareness of his surroundings was one thing, but if he had screamed outright and caused _Lana_ to wake up he would never have heard the end of it, She might have written him off as a failure and called in another former Cipher Agent -- one with less... _issues_. Then again, none of the others would have Carande's skill or expertise in the field. There was a chance that they wouldn't be as... _broken_ , but that was about all he could promise Lana if she decided it was time to replace him or send him away for a lengthy psychological examination.

“Don't worry. I'll manage,” Carande replied after a moment. “I've completed missions in far worse condition than this,” Forcing his eyes open, he rose to his feet with an almost inhuman grace. As he straightened to his full height, he smoothed down the layers of his long leather jacket, ensuring that it wasn't about to get tangled up in his legs. Then, he shouldered his blaster rifle and lifted his gaze to meet Lana's. He was quite possibly shorter than Lana, but it didn't matter. Nothing about her body language was threatening and besides... there was little about force-users that frightened him anymore. He had taken many of them apart during his short career as a Cipher Agent, and if he wanted to escape from Lana he knew three ways to knock her out before she hit the ground.

“If you're sure, then I won't stop you,” said Lana. “Feel free to head out whenever you're ready.”

After a few seconds spent checking that all of his gear was in good working order, re-calibrating his internal sensors and tapping into his radio implant, Carande was ready to go. He nodded to Lana and then headed out, the heavy soles of his boots making no sound. Once outside he wasted little time in fetching Vector, who was engaged in conversation with some of the Rishi natives. Vector politely excused himself, thanking the birdlike villagers for their time. He picked up his bladed staff and approached Carande with a smile that Carande returned. Then Carande activated his stealth generator and together they blinked out of sight.

**-o-**

“We can't help but notice that you look tired, Carande. Did you sleep well last night?” Vector whispered, as they crept through the jungle towards the Revanite base. Through the hazy distortion of the stealth field they were huddling under, the Killik joiner's face was concerned, but of all the people Carande worked with, Vector had always been the nicest. His unique perspective as Dawn Herald of the Killiks had done nothing to alter his very human emotions. Kindness and compassion were still very much intact, and it was clear that there was a deeper bond between himself and Vector than that of just co-workers. In another life, they might have shared some physical pleasure, release, and comfort with each other, but in this life Vector seemed only to favour the opposite gender. No amount of alcohol or shared membrosia would change how Vector felt about Carande... and Carande couldn't bring himself to take advantage of a dear and loyal friend and comrade.

He would sooner chop off his own _leg_ than hurt Vector like that.

It was unfortunate, because apart from the odd black voids in their eyes that set Killik Joiners apart, Vector was a rather attractive specimen of a human male. He had slicked back hair as dark as a starless night that contrasted rather strikingly with his pale and flawless skin. His aristocratic features would be harsh or even snobbish on anyone else, but they were pleasantly soft about the edges on Vector... and the look of concern he directed at Carande only softened them further. Currently. Vector was wearing a similar outfit to Carande, both having decided to wear dark leathers to help them blend in with their shade-darkened surroundings. If the generator failed, one would be hard-pressed to spot either of them in the shadows of the trees.

“I'll be alright, Vector. Don't worry about me,” Carande whispered back. He couldn't bring himself to tell Vector about what troubled him, though the Joiner had repeatedly asked him what was wrong. On one hand Vector had a sort of timeless wisdom about him, but on the other there was a pure and childlike innocence to the way Vector spoke. It was a curiosity that could only have come from the sentient insects linked to his mind. As much as Carande wished that he could confide in someone, _anyone,_ he couldn't bring himself to do that to Vector... much less the hundreds and even _thousands_ of innocent minds that were linked to Vector's own. If they learned of Carande's nightmares and the reasons why he had them, then all of _them_ would have nightmares too.

Vector frowned a little in response but nodded resignedly, and together they kept moving.

**-o-**

It was ludicrously easy to pop out of stealth and slit the Revanites' throats with their vibroknives as Carande and Vector made their way into Revan's base. Choking on blood while bleeding to death was an _awful_ way to go, but it made slipping into the base and dispatching the enemy forces as whisper-quiet as the breeze. He and Vector were _ghosts_. Silent, heavily armed _ghosts_. If a target was flesh, a quick slashing motion or a stab in the back was all it took to dispatch them. For the droids, he used a few cleverly timed flash bombs combined with electrical charges to short out their internal power supplies.

Then, it was time to confront Revan's hologram. As Carande had predicted in his own calculations, the real Revan had gone AWOL.

As Carande opened his mouth to gather intel on Theron's exact whereabouts, the sound of distant blaster fire made him pause. The shots he heard grew gradually louder. They were getting closer! The source of the noise was heading his way!

“What the?!” A startled but familiar voice came from somewhere to Carande's left, and when he turned to confirm who had spoken he couldn't stop the relieved smile that spread across his face. _Good_... He wouldn't have Theron's death on his conscience, adding another layer to his already twisted nightmares. Beside him, Vector's posture relaxed somewhat, the Joiner lowering his staff.

“Surprised?” Carande gently teased. He was careful to keep his tone light and airy as he took in the multiple cuts and contusions that marred what was visible of Theron's skin. The SIS Agent's spiky brown hair was all askew and he looked like he had seen better days, but his expression before he schooled it to neutrality was one of pleasant surprise as well as _relief_. He was wearing the same outfit that he'd always worn, though now the red and black jacket was spotted and singed with blood and the leftover residues from blaster fire. The split in Theron's lower lip and the cuts on his cheek were sluggishly bleeding, and one of Theron's green-golden eyes -- the one surrounded by Theron's cranial implants – was badly bruised and almost swollen shut. Carande's basic medical knowledge would be put to the test once they were safely back in the Rishi village. He would have to treat Theron's injuries, or that bruised eye would be a liability later on. Theron wouldn't be able to see an attacker if he was approached from that side!

“A little, yes. I wasn't expecting _anyone_ after Lana and Jakarro left me to be captured. To be honest, I thought I was going to be alone in this as usual.” Theron replied after a moment, and Carande felt a hot spike of anger twisting like a knife in his gut,

“I promise you,Theron, that your capture was _never_ my idea. I will be having words with Lana later, but not until I've tended to your wounds as best I know how.” Carande's gaze locked with Theron's as he spoke and they shared a nod, and it precisely at that moment that an alarm blared over the loudspeakers, an electronic voice announcing an imminent self destruct...

“Kark!” Theron swore. “We have to get out of here. NOW!”

“With all these droids still surrounding us, we won't have enough time to escape before detonation, we'll have to try to override it!” Carande was already on the move as he spoke, and as some droids stepped into their path he lobbed one of his flash bombs into their path, blinding them so Theron could dispatch them with a neat blaster bolt to their cranial units. “Come on. I once was known as Cipher Nine. and I just _might_ know a thing or two about slicing into computer terminals.” With these words, Carande lobbed a fistful of electrical charges, shorting out the circuitry of the next wave of droids in their path,

It was only a matter of seconds before they finished with the droids and reached the computer terminal. Without waiting for Theron, Carande quickly set to work. His fingers blurred deftly over the console as he tried all of the possible override codes he could remember. It was good that his professionalism didn't allow him to waste energy with profanities, because with every code that failed, he felt the urge to swear aloud. After ten stressful seconds full of flashes of _ACCESS DENIED,_ He threw up his hands.

“Do you have codes I don't know?” Carande asked, and Theron nodded, stepping forward to take the former Cipher Agent's place.

At the last possible second, just as Carande thought they were done for and had closed his eyes to resign himself to his fate, the computer sparked and _sizzled_ , the entire base shook for a moment, and then the alarm went silent. A hologram appeared.

“Looks like I sliced into this terminal just in time... are you alright?” Lana asked. Her hologram shimmered into a smile.

“In teaching her to slice and code, I've created a monster,” Theron groaned, as Carande nodded.

“We're alright,” he replied, leaving the ' _no thanks to you_ ' unspoken for the moment. He didn't want to give the Revanites any information that they could use against them, so any arguments among their team would have to wait until he was in a safer location. “I'll assist Theron with whatever he needs now that he's free, and we'll be back shortly to share what we know,” he said instead, and was pleased to see Theron's good eye widen in surprise. That made _twice_ in one day.

“Alright. We'll talk more when you've returned. Lana out.” The connection closed before Carande could reply.

“ _Was_ there anything else you needed?” Carande asked, turning to Theron instead.

“Just a couple of things,” Theron replied. “I can probably make it back on my own, if you wanted to go ahead...”

“ _No_ , Theron... I won't leave you behind when you were already captured once,” said Carande. “Just get what you need, and I'll stay here and keep watch for reinforcements. We can make our way back under the cloak of my stealth generator,”

“We shall scout ahead and clear a path for you,” said Vector. The Joiner gave both of them a reassuring smile and a nod, and without a further word he was on his way out the door, leaving Carande and Theron alone together.

**-o-**

“I don't understand why you're doing all of this, but thank you,” said Theron quietly, as they made their way back to the Rishi Village. His injured features were softened by the haze of the stealth field they were under, but he was still in need of medical assistance. That one bruised eye was completely swollen shut now and would require a cold pack and a tube of slow-release kolto before he could see out of it again. Theron was also limping a little. Whoever had tried to torture him for information had beaten him all over.

“It was a matter of _honour_ , Theron. You are our ally, temporarily or not, and you shouldn't have been left behind,” Carande replied, a little too quickly. _Great_. Now Theron was going to suspect something was _off_ about him. ' _Quick! Think of something, you idiot!_ ' he thought, before continuing. “I mean... There are _other_ approaches that could have been taken... We could have captured one of _them_... We could have infiltrated the base as a _team_ , under stealth. We could have protected you when you _needed_ us.”

The words ' _No one deserves to be captured and tortured_ ' went entirely unspoken.

If Theron had caught onto his unspoken sentiment, he didn't voice it aloud. Instead, he gave Carande a weary but _understanding_ smile, and reached over to gently squeeze the Cipher Agent's left shoulder. The unexpected kindness of the gesture was enough to make the corners of Carande's eyes prickle and unconsciously he leaned into Theron's hand, just a _little_. After years of long and lonely missions the reassuring touch felt incredible, and were they not still out in the middle of the jungle he might have stopped for a moment to give Theron a hug, or kiss his cheek, or thank him for being so understanding and so breathtakingly _kind_.

Lana would come out after them if they took too much longer, though, and he didn't want or need to give her another reason to doubt him. That she'd seen him after one of his sleepless nights was bad enough... He didn't need her nagging him about this, too.

“Let's keep moving, Cipher,” Theron said after a moment, and they shared another nod. Yes. It was better to keep moving.

**-o-**

“Before we talk to Lana, come with me to the hut I've been sleeping in,” Carande told Theron. “I've got some instant cold packs for your eye and some slow-release kolto tubes to help you with all those those cuts, scrapes and contusions. It won't fix _everything_ but at least you won't be bleeding, limping or blinded in one eye anymore.”

“You don't have to waste your supplies on me... I've survived worse than this,” Theron replied.

“I'm sure you _have_ , but this is still a matter of honour. Theron,” Carande argued. “You were captured and _tortured_ because one of us abandoned you, and I _will_ set this right. _Lana_ might not care about what happened to you, but I most certainly _do_.” He punctuated his sentence with his hands on his hips and a stern look up at Theron, who was actually quite a bit taller than him now that they were standing so close. If Carande's guess was accurate, he would say that the other agent was a whole _head_ taller.

“Alright, _alright_... I'm too tired and sore to argue with you anyways, Cipher,” Theron grumbled, but gestured for him to lead the way, and when Carande began to walk towards his sleeping hut he fell into step beside him, though he was still limping.

“I have a _name_ , you know,” Carande said softly, as they stepped through the hut door. “I wasn't _always_ a Cipher Agent.”

“Oh?” As sore and exhausted as Theron was, it seemed he couldn't quite stop himself from perking up with interest.

“My name is _Carande_ , Theron. Carande Thilan,” As he spoke, Carande retrieved the promised kolto packs and cold packs from his bag of medical supplies and rations. He smacked a cold pack on the ground to mix the chemicals inside it and begin the cooling process, then wrapped it in some soft and absorbent fabric before handing it to Theron. “There. Hold this over your bruised eye. It'll help the kolto bring the swelling down. You can let me know when it starts to get warm and I'll give you another one if you need it.”

“Thanks, Carande,” Theron replied, taking the chilled bundle of fabric and cold pack. He used an edge of the soft black fabric to wipe all the blood off of his lip and cheek, then he gingerly pressed it against his sore eye. A soft sigh of relief came out of him as the soothing and numbing chill began to work its magic. “I'll have that Kolto now if you don't mind.”

“Sure. You'll feel a bit of pressure, but once it's in you should immediately start to feel better.” With these words, Carande pressed the end of the kolto tube against the SIS Agent's neck and released the pressure. Almost immediately the green liquid inside the tube disappeared, absorbed and swept away by Theron's bloodstream. Then, Theron's shoulders slumped ever so slightly and he let out a shaky breath of relief. His posture had been somewhat tense and pained before, but now he appeared calmer, almost content... Each breath seemed to come slower, deeper, and easier than they had just a moment ago. It also appeared that the split in his lip and the scratches in his cheek had stopped bleeding and formed a solid scab.

“As much as I hate to ask the _obvious_ , I have to in this case,” Carande commented. “Are you feeling any better?”

“I feel _much_ better. Thank you,” said Theron, and to Carande's surprise he sat down on the edge of the bed of furs on one side of the room. To Carande's further surprise, the SIS agent looked up at him from where he sat, and then patted the edge of the bed next to him. “Hey, sit with me for a while. I would rather Lana _didn't_ see me with my eye all swollen shut.”

“Alright, just allow me to put my blaster rifle aside,” Carande reached behind himself to grab the weapon in question, activated its safeties, and carefully leaned it against the end of the bed. Once he'd done this, it was as if all the energy and adrenaline that had been holding him up went out of him in a rush. He ended up sitting a touch more heavily than he had planned to.

“Hey, Are _you_ okay?” Theron asked. “That seemed a touch uncoordinated for an Agent of your calibre.”

“Yeah. I'm okay.” Carande replied, automatically flashing a disarming smile in Theron's direction.

“That discoloration under your eyes says otherwise.” Theron commented, “You're _exhausted_.”

“What of it?” Though Carande understood that Theron meant him no harm, he felt a little defensive. He straightened to sit up a bit taller as he spoke.“It's not the first sleepless night I've had before a mission, and it certainly won't be the last!”

“ _You never slept?!_ ” Theron's voice unexpectedly rose, and now it was Theron's turn to shoot him an incredulous, one-eyed stare.

“ _Keep it down, idiot!_ ” Carande hissed. “Lana will hear us and come to investigate!”

“But you never _slept_ ,” Theron argued, though wisely he lowered his voice. “This whole mission could have been a failure if you had blacked out at the wrong time! Don't you have any idea how much danger you put yourself in? What if you had been _killed_?”

“Vector would have picked up my stealth generator and completed the mission without me, or you would have escaped on your own, as you were _attempting_ to do before I arrived...” Carande replied, coolly. “You are _not_ some helpless novice in the field.”

“I know that, but then you would be-” Theron's reply was abruptly cut off, and he lowered his gaze, a tint of red in his cheeks.

“I would be what?” Carande asked, softly.

“Look.” Suddenly, Theron's one eye locked onto Carande's, and his lips were pressed into a thin straight line. “This is going to be as unsubtle as _hell_ , but I like you, alright? I don't _want_ you to die. I never expected that an _Imperial_ could be so...” He trailed off and lowered his gaze again, the blush in his cheeks growing several shades darker.

“You'll have to speak up, Theron... I didn't quite catch that,” Scooting a little closer to Theron, Carande reached over and gently placed one of his leather-gloved hands on Theron's knee. Almost immediately, the SIS Agent's free hand came down to cover it, the brown leather-clad fingers wrapping around Carande's palm like they belonged there. Theron's hand was a big one that easily swallowed the former Cipher Agent's hand whole, but his grip was comfortable. Not too tight and not too loose. 

“You're _beautiful_ ,” Theron mumbled, staring down at their joined hands, “I couldn't keep my eyes off of you on Manaan.”

At those words, Carande felt his breath catch in his throat and he looked up at Theron, who looked back at him with a soft, warm expression on his face. An expression that quickly grew into a smile as Theron dropped the cold pack beside him so they could gaze properly into each others' eyes. As Theron's green-gold locked onto Carande's amber, the slight straining in his cheeks alerted him to the fact that he was smiling like a lovestruck fool. Ordinarily he would have tried to get it under control, but in this case it was all worth it to see Theron smiling back at him, He couldn't even _remember_ the last time he'd felt a happiness like this.

His jaw and cheek muscles _ached_ from the effort to maintain the wide and no doubt _radiant_ smile, but it was well worth it.

“ _Stars_ , Carande...” Theron's voice took on a breathier quality. He released the hand he was holding, but reached out to drape his arm around Carande's shoulders, pulling him closer as he leaned down towards him. “Where did you learn to _smile_ like that?”

“That's funny, Theron... I could have asked the same question about you,” Carande replied just as breathily as he pressed himself up against Theron and closed his eyes. As he did so, the tips of their noses touched and nuzzled for a moment, and he felt Theron's breath ghosting over his lips. He could feel his own breath catching in his throat again and his lips were tingling, alive with sensation as well as anticipation. Unconsciously, he lifted his hand to cup at Theron's stubbled jawline, then threaded his fingers through the spiky brown hair. He shivered a little as Theron returned the caress, a big warm hand cradling the back of his head as leather-clad fingertips burrowed into Carande's inky hair.

“We really _shouldn't_...” Theron murmured, pulling back slightly. “Lana _will_ wonder what's keeping us.”

“She'll just have to _wait_ a little longer.” Carande replied with a smirk, and without another word he learned in to close the gap and gently pressed his lips against Theron's. For a moment there was no reaction and then someone made a needy sound – Carande _really_ couldn't have guessed who had done it – and the taller man's lips parted underneath his. They _melted_ into each other, kissing over and over again. Soft, sweet, open mouthed kisses as intoxicating as any drug. At one point their hands tightened in each others' hair and it occurred to Carande that he should straddle Theron's hips for better access. The long tails of his jacket flapped about for a moment, then fell to drape heavily over Theron's knees.

Then Theron grabbed Carande's ass and pulled their hips into alignment, and there was no more room for thinking.

If they were caught, well... Lana would just have to _deal with it_.

\---Fin


	2. BONUS CHAPTER - Theron's POV!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's naughty, and it's Theron's point of view after the end of “When Rescue Missions Go Right.”

Theron couldn't believe what was happening. Here he was in this little hut in the Rishi Village, and he was having the breath kissed out of him by one Carande Thilan. The cold pack combined with the slow-release kolto tube had re-opened his bruised and swollen eye, but now his eyes were closed of his own free will as they continued to kiss. When they broke away from kissing to catch their breath, the ragged gasps that followed were echoed by the pretty little Cipher Agent in Theron's lap... Yes. _Pretty_. There was no doubt in Theron's mind that Carande's was the prettiest smile he'd ever seen on a man. Those lips looked extra plush at the moment, flushed rosy red and swollen from an increasing number of kisses...

... and he was pretty sure he wasn't _imagining_ that hardness that pressed against him through the leather of Carande's pants.

Sliding his hands down Carande's back, he gripped the smaller man's ass and pulled him forward, adjusting the angle of his own hips so that hardness would meet and rub against Theron's own. The action elicited a low moan from the Cipher Agent along with an involuntary roll of the hips that made the SIS Agent shudder and gasp aloud. No. He _wasn't_ imagining it.

Now that he'd established that Carande _was_ hard, he couldn't resist rolling his hips upward to meet that hardness with his own. At the same time, he delighted in the sounds that came out of the Imperial in his lap. There was a shaky gasp and another low moan as Carande thrust downward against Theron, this time with more pressure. The only thing Theron could do was meet that thrust with another upwards motion of his own. He met Carande's thrust once, then twice, and by the third time the two of them had established a comfortable rhythm, grinding against each other through layers of leather and heavy fabric. Theron's hands took hold of Carande's narrow hips, holding him firmly in place.

One of Carande's small hands pushed in under Theron's jacket and started to work it free of his neck and shoulders, exposing more of the soft brown long-sleeved shirt he wore underneath. Through the soft fabric of his shirt, those nimble little fingertips found and tweaked Theron's nipple, causing it to harden on contact. Then a palm smoothed over the sensitized nub as Carande pushed more firmly at the leather of the jacket, trying to get it off. It wouldn't be that easy with Theron's gloves and wristbands on, however, so the SIS agent quickly removed them, dropping them to either side. As soon as they were off, He shifted his shoulders one after the other to allow Carande to push away the jacket. It dropped in a heap behind him and was promptly forgotten about.

Instead, Theron started to work at Carande's jacket, undoing the many clasps and straps and pushing the layer of leather away from the Cipher Agent's narrow frame. At one point he had to stop to allow Carande to remove his wristbands and gloves, but soon the jacket had fallen open to reveal a thin sleeveless black sweater with a turtleneck collar. It hugged Carande's body almost like a second skin, and it left very little to the imagination. Through the thin knit of the fabric, he could clearly see that the agent's nipples had hardened into little pebbles. Whether this was from increased contact with the air or the continuous grinding of their hips, he knew not. All he knew was that he wanted to touch them... so touch he did. As soon as that long leather jacket had fallen away and landed in a heap on the floor, he ran his hands upwards, tracing over the smooth flat planes of Carande's abdominal muscles, feeling the way the Agent arched his back and hearing how loudly he groaned. It was a surprisingly deep and husky sound for someone so small and thin. When Theron's touch reached Carande's nipples and he traced around the little nubs with his fingers, Carande gently swatted his hands away only to lift up the fabric of his sweater and pull it off over his head, the action messing up the inky strands of his hair and causing a fringe of bangs to fall into his eyes.

Those _eyes_... Stars. Carande really was beautiful with his hair all mussed, lips still swollen from kisses, and a delicate and beautiful tint of blush coloring his cheeks. There were sleek silver implants that framed Carande's face and came to a point by the outer corner of each eye and both corners of his mouth, but they along with the bruise-like discoloration of the Imperial's tired eyes did nothing to take away from his exotic beauty. Carande's skin was a warm and sun-kissed gold, his lips were soft and rosy in hue and lined with a touch of a cool-colored purplish lip liner. A similar hue outlined each eye, enhancing their angular shape and making the brilliant amber of their color stand out in startling contrast. Lastly, his face shape was somewhat angular, narrower towards the chin and wider towards the forehead... Almost, but not _quite_ heart-shaped, and the smile he was flashing at Theron made him look -- if such a feat was possible – even sweeter and more beautiful than he had just a moment ago.

“Theron,” Carande stilled his hips for a moment with a definite and visible effort, and spoke to Theron through his harsh and shaky breaths. His voice was lower and huskier than Theron had ever heard from him before, and his amber eyes stared straight into Theron's _soul_. “I am quickly approaching the point of no return, and if we continue we are going to have to finish what we started.”

In response Theron sat back, then worked his own fingers in underneath the hem of his own shirt and pulled it off over his head. He knew he was taller, broader, and more muscular in general than Carande, and that of the two of them he had the darker skin. His newly exposed nipples hardened upon contact with the night air, and he felt an involuntary shiver run down the length of his spine as he opened himself to Carande's scrutiny. ' _Oh, Stars... please let him think I am up to his standards. I am so ready for this,_ ' he thought as he looked up and met the Imperial's gaze, nodding once. Challenging him to move in closer and _take_ what he wanted...

... but Carande didn't swoop in immediately, nor did he _leer_. Instead he regarded Theron with an open _admiration_.

“I am not the beautiful one, Theron... _You_ are,” the Imperial whispered, leaning in so close to Theron's ear that his breath tickled the outer shell. Carande settled his weight down to press his growing erection against Theron's. He rolled his hips in a way that made Theron see stars for a moment, and then there was a sharp sensation of teeth nibbling at his earlobe. A tongue poked out to delicately swipe away the sting. Then, Carande began to kiss, nibble, and lick a trail along Theron's stubbly jawline and down the side of Theron's neck, worshipping every available inch of skin that he could reach with his mouth.

 _Someone had_ taught Carande how to pleasure a partner. With every little nip, kiss, and swipe of that tongue Theron felt himself come more and more undone. He moaned and gasped, tilting his head to one side to give the smaller man free access. As Carande found his way down to kiss and nibble along Theron's collarbone, he closed his eyes and relaxed, leaning back. Slender fingertips found and tweaked one of the SIS Agent's nipples and he gasped a little louder, arching into the touch... Then he shuddered and moaned as Carande applied his _mouth_ to the one on the other side.

Meanwhile, trapped within the confines of pants and boxers and pinned beneath that bulge of Carande's, his cock throbbed almost painfully. If he didn't touch it soon, he'd probably _burst_. Then again, if truth be told, he didn't care all that much...

An opportunity presented itself while Carande was occupied with Theron's chest, and Theron put one hand on the Imperial's head so he could guide him to better and more sensitive spots. With the other hand, he deftly undid his belt buckle, worked the length of his belt free, and tossed it and his blaster to one side. Then he thumbed at the button at the top of his fly, flicking it open in one deft motion. He was just about to undo the zipper and take some of the pressure off of his erection...

... when a decidedly feminine gasp alerted him to the presence of another person, and his green-golden eyes snapped open.

Across the hut from Theron, with a shocked and quite frankly _hilarious_ expression on her face, was Lana Beniko. If she wasn't expecting them to be getting along, well... they _were_. If anything, they were getting along a little _too_ well.

Flashing her a crap-eating grin over one of Carande's shoulders, Theron made a shooing motion with his hand. Then he closed his eyes and leaned back, breathing heavily as the smaller man realized that he'd begun to open his fly and worked his way down lower, nuzzling the neat trail of hair that lead down under the elastic of Theron's boxers. A lazy half-lidded glance at Lana and another crap-eating grin later, he heard rather than saw the Sith Lord whirl on her heel and flee the small hut, To his extreme pleasure, there was the brightest of pink blushes on her face. She'd seen something that she would _never_ be able to forget, and Theron was going to _enjoy_ teasing her about it later. He would be _merciless_ , and It would make the trip to Yavin-4 amusing.

Then Carande's hand found its way inside Theron's pants and worked the red fabric of the boxers down, and his trapped erection sprang free from its nest of fabric and neatly trimmed pubic hair. The head of it was a deep and almost angry shade of red that contrasted with the tan of the rest of Theron's skin. As he watched, the entire length of it twitched and pulsed in time with his heartbeat. A bead of precome had begun to form at the tip, and Carande noticed this _immediately_. The imperial licked his lips as if preparing them for something...

For a moment Theron's eyes locked onto Carande's, and there was a pause as the Imperial moved to kneel on the floor in front of him. He was still wearing his pants, but while Theron's eyes were closed the smaller man had opened his own fly and pushed down his black underwear, revealing himself to Theron as well as releasing any pressure he must have been feeling. He couldn't really get a good look from this angle, but he could see just enough to know that there was a dark trail of hair that led down into Carande's boxers, that the head of Carande's cock was a deep rosy red in color, and that there was a bead of precome forming at the tip. He could also see that the length of it was twitching and throbbing in time with the Imperial's rapid heartbeat.

"You are clean, yes? No diseases I should worry about?" Carande asked.

Unable to find the words due to the flood of mental images that came along with such a loaded question, Theron _nodded_.

Then Carande took Theron into his hot, wet mouth, and there was no more room for observation.

-o-

The following morning came earlier than Theron would have liked it to, but the memories of the previous nights' activities were still fresh in his mind. After giving him the most spectacular blowjob he'd ever received in his life and swallowing every drop when Theron shot his load, Carande quickly and efficiently stroked himself to completion in front of Theron. He gave him a bit of a show in the process, spine arching as he painted streaks of pearly white all over his golden torso. After that, the Imperial had fetched some more of the soft black cloth from the contents of his overnight bag and had carefully cleaned Theron and then himself.

As both of them came down from their orgasmic highs, they carefully redressed. They took care in tucking themselves back into their pants and pulling their shirts back on over their still sensitized bodies. The looks they shared as they fetched the rest of their clothing and put it on were those of fondness. They had given each other something pleasant to take away from this nightmarish situation they were living in, and Theron couldn't help but be thankful for it. He hoped that Carande would take this memory forward with him, and that it would give him something to smile about for many years to come. Theron knew already that he would never forget.

“We should do this again sometime,” Theron remembered saying, and he remembered smiling as Carande had given him a soft look and gently nodded his head. He remembered the warmth of the Imperial's arms wrapping around him as together they'd drifted off.

“Good morning, Theron,” came the soft greeting from somewhere to Theron's left, and he saw that Carande had moved to perch on the end of the bed of furs and was looking at him with a smile. The discolored shadows under his eyes were gone, and at some point he had straightened his hair and touched up his eyeliner and lip liner. “I wasn't sure when you would wake up, but I waited because I wanted to thank you for... well... whatever that was last night.” Carande chewed on his lower lip a bit, and this was clearly a nervous habit. It was one that Theron had never witnessed from the unflappable Cipher Nine, and as such it was _immediately_ endearing.

“I should be thanking _you_ for that incredible blowjob, You had me seeing _stars_...” Theron replied, allowing some of the warmth and affection he was feeling to alter the tone of his voice. “... Although we might have startled _Lana_ last night.”

“Ah-hah! So _that's_ what you were grinning about,” said Carande. “I had worried that it was _me_.”

“Not at all. _You_ were amazing.” With these words, Theron scooted away from the wall and swung his legs down over the edge of the bed. “I will be remembering what we did for a very, very long time... Perhaps for the rest of my life.”

“ _Good_ ,” Carande replied. Rising to his feet he moved as if to cross the hut, but then he paused and turned back to Theron, offering him a hand. “I won't be forgetting _you_ or the time we spent together.”

Theron could have risen to his feet unassisted, but a part of him was so touched that Carande would offer him his hand that he reached out and took it, permitting the smaller man to pull him to his feet. He was surprised when Carande not only _succeeded_ in pulling him up, but also used his free hand to make sure Theron was steady on his feet before he let go. The Imperial then squinted at the SIS Agent's jacket, frowned ever so slightly, and picked off a tiny, almost invisible speck of lint that would have gone completely unnoticed otherwise. He then tugged at Theron's collar to straighten it, and stepped back to smile up at him.

“There... Now when we go out there to fill Lana in on what you've found out, she won't be able to see any visible signs of what we did... She'll think she _imagined_ catching us making out, and it will drive her absolutely _mad,_ ” There was a subtle sparkle of humour in Carande's amber eyes that wasn't there before, and then the corner of his mouth twitched upward in a definite smirk _._

It was a smirk that set Theron's lips to twitching, and despite his best efforts to stop it Theron found himself _cackling_ with glee, tears prickling the corners of his eyes as he shook all over.

“Oh, Carande. I could _kiss_ you. That's _brilliant,_ ” he said, once he'd managed to regain control of himself.

“You already did _, remember?_ You kissed me several times,” Carande replied with a snicker, but then his expression softened and he gazed up at Theron with a gentler smile on his face. “I wouldn't complain if you were to kiss me _again_ , though.”

Upon hearing those words, Theron reached out with one hand and gently tilted Carande's chin upwards. Then he leaned in to press a soft kiss to the Imperial's lips. He held the kiss for a long moment, but limited it to a soft touch that didn't go any further than that. After that, he reached out and pulled the smaller man into his arms. The Imperial's frame nestled in against his larger one, and Carande's arms came up after a few seconds to wrap themselves around Theron's waist. They stood that way for a long time, two Agents from opposing sides who had come together to a mutual understanding and respect. As they parted the expressions on their faces were soft and hopeful, and then it was _Theron_ who gave Carande a most devious smirk.

“Alright... Let's go mess with Lana's head,” said Theron in a conspiratorial tone. With Carande at his side and mirroring his smirk, he walked out of the hut.

\---Fin


End file.
